Dry shaving razor with belt driven blades and cooling means



Sept. 26, 1961 J. M. NAHON 3,001,281

DRY SHAVING RAZOR WITH BELT DRIVEN BLADES AND COOLING MEANS Filed March 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. M. NAHON Sept. 26, 196i DRY SHAVING RAZOR WITH BELT DRIVENQBLADESVAND COOLING MEANS Filed March 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,001,281 DRY SHAVING RAZOR WITH BELT DRIVEN BLADES AND CGOLING MEANS James M. Nahon, Fez 9 his, Tangier, Morocco Filed Mar. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 797,433 Claims priority, application Morocco May 7, 1953 6 Claims. (Cl. 30-34) This invention relates to dry shaving razors and more particularly to electric razors.

Known dry shavers generally fall into the following categories, to wit: dry shavers which employ oscillatory motion for their cutting blades, those which employ a circular cutting motion about an axis of rotation and those which employ a reciprocatory motion.

The types of dry shavers which employ the oscillatory and reciprocatory motions are generally subject to the objection of excessive vibration which the blades tend to produce by their back-and-fotth motion. The rotary type of cutter is objectionable because the type of structure associated therewith severely limits the area which can be covered.

it is an object of the invention to provide an improved dry shaver, and more particularly a shaver which avoids the defects noted above.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved dry shaver capable of processing large areas without objectionable vibration.

Briefly, the invention achieves the above and other of its objectives by providin a series of blades mounted on an endless belt which may have anelongated configuration, such as to enable the blades to cover a substantial area.

The endless belt may, in accordance with the invention, be driven by an electrical motor which, according to a feature of the invention, may be positioned within the loop defined by the endless belt. Alternatively, the motor may be positioned externally of the endless belt and may be connected to the driving members provided for the belt by means of a pulley connection.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, there are provided cooling members adapted for being mounted on said belt in a position whereat theyfunction both to remove cut hair and to cool the operating mechanism.

Still another feature of the invention is to provide lades which are detachably mounted on the said belt by a hingably arranged member which normally supports the associated blade obliquely to an associated shaving grill.

A further feature of the invention relates to the fact that the dry shaver provided in accordance therewith comprises a grill which is hingably openable, the opening of the grill being employed to control the opening of the power circuit of the associated electrical motor. Thus, when the grill is opened, it is impossible for the electric motor to operate, and this constitutes a safety feature of the invention.

Another feature of the invention also relates to a safety feature, in that the opening of the grill is employed to lock the driving mechanism employed for the endless belt, so that independently of the electric motor it would be impossible to drive the belt with the grill open.

Advantageously, the structure of the invention is simply and economically fabricated, and provides for an efficient shaving operation.

The above objects, features and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the grill portion of a ice 2 dry shaver provided in accordance with. the invention, the view showing the grill in open position so as to illustrate the endless belt with its blades and cooling members connected therewith;

FIG. 2 is a side view, partially in section, of the endless belt arrangement and the supporting members provided therefor;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the endless belt of FIGS. 1 and 2, with the blades removed therefrom;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view on enlarged scale of a blade employed in accordance with the invention, and the support associated therewith;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a dry shaver provided in accordance with the invention, the dry shaver being shown in entirety;

FIG. 6 illustrates a locking safety mechanism provided in accordance with the invention in inactive position;

FIG. 7 illustrates the structure of FIG. 6 in active position; and

FIG. 8 illustrates diagrammatically a further embodiment of the invention, in which the associated electrical motor is positioned within the loop defined by the endless belt.

In FIG. 1 is illustrated a casing 1d which is made of I" plasticor other conventional material and which supports a rim member 12 which confines the area in which are located the active members of the cutting assembly. A gril 14 provided with a plurality of symmetrically disposed apertures 16 is hingably connected to the remainder of the dry shaver at 18. Gn'll 14 is capable of being pivoted into a position whereat resiliently connected lug 20 engages slot 22, so that the grill 14 is maintained in a position Whereat a shaving operation may be performed. Supported on the casing 10 is an endless member 24 which, in the illustrated example, is an endless belt. Aside from being a belt of the nature disclosed, endless member 24 might further be an assembly of links, chains or other such assemblies as might be driven unidirectionally in the manner described hereinafter.

Mounted on the endless belt 24 are a plurality of blades 26 supported by members 28, as will hereinafter be described in greater detail. Intermediate blades 26 are positioned cooling elements 30 which are of metal, plastic or other similar material and are cupped in the direction of travel indicated for the endless belt 224 by means of arrows 32.

Endless belt 24- is supported on rollers 34 and 36. One of these rollers is preferably a driving roller which is coupled to a source of rotary power, such as an elec tric motor, and the other of these rollers is an idling roller, the purpose of which is simply to support an extremity of the endless belt 24 and to accommodate movement of the same.

It follows from the description of the structure provided above that a shaving mechanism is provided, the coverage of which is determined solely by the width of the blades 26 and by the elfective length of the endless belt 24. The endless belt 24 is driven unidirectionally as indicated by the arrows 32, each of the blades 26 having repeated cycles of operation, approximately 50% of each cycle representing a duty period. The blades 25 are not employed for a cutting operation when they are traveling through that portion of their respective paths which is beneath the endless belt 24, and during this period they may free themselves from hair under the influence of gravity, or by means of brushes and so forth not shown.

The grill 14 is shown in closed position in FIG. 2, whereat is also shown the uppermost portion of casing 10 having a cup portion 35 in which the cutting assembly of the dry shaver is accommodated.

In FIG. 2, the path of travel of the blades 26 and the associated cooling members 30 is readily apparent, the figure further illustrating a support member 37 connected, for example, by rivets 38 to the casing 16 and supporting shafts or axles 4i) and 42 for rollers 34 and 36 As noted above, grill 14 is hingably connected to casing 10 at 18 by conventional hinges. This hinged movement of grill 14,'besides providing access to the cutting assembly, is also operatively associated with electric wires 44 and 46, which are connected in the power supply of the associated electric motor. Electric wires 44 and 46 are respectively connected to contacts 48 and 50, the closing and opening of the grill 14 respectively making and breaking these contacts.

Inasmuch as contacts 48 and 50 are serially connected in the power input circuit of the electric motor of the dry shaver, it follows that with the grill 14 open the electrical motor cannot be actuated. Consequently, it is impossible for an operator to cut himself by inadvertently supplying power to the electrical motor with the grill open, such as might be done, for example, while the device is being cleaned.

FIG. 3 illustrates that the endless belt employed in accordance with the invention is preferably of a single piece of material such as, for example, rubber, flexible plastic and the like. Belt 24 is provided with two laterally spaced rows of slots 52, the slots in the two rows being longitudinally aligned along the belt.

Slots 52 are provided to cooperate with tongues 54 of the supporting member 28, as illustrated with greater particularity in FIG. 4. Member 28 is a member consisting of hinged sections 56, 58 and 60, which may be separate sections hingedly connected, or sections of an integral member as illustrated. In any event, the crosssection of member 28 is that of a Z, the upper leg being connected by means of rivets 62 or by means of other conventional connecting members.

Tongues 54 are detachably positioned in slots 52, so that a ready detachment and replacement of the blades 26 is permitted. The hinge connection of the sections of member 28 provides that it is difficult, if not impossible, to damage the blades, the blades 26 being supported at an angle to the grill 14 (as best seen in FIG. 2), which provides for an eificient cutting and a close shave.

A dry shaver constructed in the fashion indicated above is illustrated in perspective view and in entirety in FIG. 5, wherein it is seen that the casing 10 has a shape which adapts the shaver for being readily grasped in the hand of an operator. Also evident from FIG. are the grill 14, the rim member 14, and the locking member 20.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views selectively illustrating an additional safety feature of the invention in inoperative and operative positions. In each of FIGS. 6 and 7 is illustrated, by way of example, roller 34 and, with regard to this roller, it is to be noted that any interference with the movement of the same would have a corresponding influence on the movement of endless belt 24. Chain line 64 may represent, for example, the axis of rotation of the roller 34, such that the remainder of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is axially displaced from an end of the roller 34. As in the previous figures, indicates the casing of the dry shaver, and engaging therewith is the side section 66 of the portion of the shaver which supports the grill 14. FIG. 6 illustrates portion 66 in engagement with the casing 10, in which position the grill 14 is closed. FIG. 7 illustrates the portion 66 displaced outwardly away from the casing 10, in a manner which exposes the cutting assembly and should, therefore, block the movement of endless belt 24.

In FIG. 6 is illustrated a lever 68'mounted on a pivot 70 supported by the casing 10. A spring 72 tends to urge the lever 68 to pivot counterclockwise about the pivot 70, but this is prevented by a lever engaging mem- 4 ber 74 held in the position illustrated in FIG. 6 by engagement between the portion 66 and the casing 10.

When the portion 66 is displaced outwardly, as indicated in FIG. 7, lever engaging member 74 is displaced, permitting spring 72 to urge lever 68 in counterclockwise direction and into engagement with the roller 34 or any projection or recess provided thereupon. Engagement between lever 68 and roller 34 prevents rotation of the latter and, therefore, movement of the endless belt 24 while the grill is open. A closing of the grill and, consequently, a movement of portion 66 against casing 10 forces lever 68 to assume the position illustrated in FIG. 6, whereupon the cutting assembly is again permitted to operate.

In FIG. 2, the driving of the cutter assembly is effected through the roller 34 mounted on axle 42. More particularly, the drive is transmitted through a belt 76 to a pulley 78, which is rigidly mounted on the shaft 42. In this arrangement, the electric motor is situated outside of the loop defined by the endless belt 24.

FIG. 8 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention, wherein the electric motor is positioned within the loop defined by the associated endless belt.

In view of the fact that the various structural details of preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, FIG. 8 illustrates its operation diagrammatically. In FIG. 8 is illustrated a casing 80 supporting a grill 82, within which are rollers 84 and 86 for driving an endless belt 83, on which are mounted a plurality of blades 90. Electric motor 92, supported on housing 94, which in turn is mounted on casing 80, is located within the loop defined by belt 88. The motor can be provided with peripheral set of teeth, or by any other means can directly engage the belt 88 so as to drive unidirectionally about the rollers 84 and 86.

The invention therefore provides a cutting assembly in which blades are driven unidirectionally so as to avoid the inherent defects of an oscillatory mechanism and in which the movement of the blades is not nearly as restricted as is the case of blades which rotate about a single fixed axis of rotation. The shaver construction of the invention is, therefore, more conveniently and readily employed than are dry shavers which were heretofore known. The various features of the invention, including the safety features, the detachable blade arrangement and those other features noted above, are believed to contribute materially to the improvements aiforded by the invention.

There will now be obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications and variations of the structures set forth above. These modifications and variations will not depart from the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A dry shaver comprising a casing, an apertured grill on said casing for the admission of hairs to be cut, an endless belt in the casing adjacent to but spaced from said grill, blades on said belt for movement between the latter and said grill, and driving means coupled to said belt and driving the same unidirectionally whereby the blades cut said hair, the blades being spaced longitudinally along said belt, said shaver further comprising ventilating members on the belt between the blades.

2. A shaver as claimed in claim 1 comprising means hingeably coupling the blades to said belt.

3. A shaver as claimed in claim 1 comprising spaced rollers supported by said casing, one of the rollers being coupled to the driving means and being driven thereby, the other roller being an idling roller.

4. A shaver as claimed in claim 1, where in said belt defines spaced and aligned rows of slots, comprising hinged members supporting the blades and including tongues detachably accommodated in the slots.

5. A dry shaver comprising a casing, an apertured grill on said casing for the admission of hairs to be when endless belt in the casing adjacent to but spaced from said grill, blades on said belt for movement between the latter and said grill, and driving means coupled to said belt and driving the same unidirectionally whereby the blades cut said hair, said grill and belt being elongated members, said gn'll having an end hingeably connected to said casing; said shaver further comprising controllable locking means on and detachably connecting said casing and grill at the other end of the latter, means on the casing responsive to opening of the grill to prevent movement of the belt.

6. A shaver as claimed in claim 5, wherein said motor is adapted to be coupled to a source of electrical power,

comprising contacts coupled between the motor and said source, one of the contacts being on the casing, the other of the contacts being coupled to said grill, the contacts being positioned so as to make contact with the grill in 5 closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,145,920 Davis Feb. 7, 1939 2,323,745 Wildeboor July 6, 1943 2,858,607 Kane Nov. 4, 1958 

